PFC John W. Brown

Today we honor and remember PFC John W. Brown of the 101st Airborne Division

Courtesy of Jeff Hall. Photo retouching by Ellen Marchese.

Private First Class (PFC) John Wilbur Brown of 101st Military Police Platoon, 101st Airborne Division, was born in Sherburn, Martin County, Minnesota, to Erwin F. and Dolly V.M. (Ridgway) Brown on November 11, 1920. He had four brothers, Robert E., Everett E., David N., and Joel D. Brown, and one sister, Roxanne W. Brown. 

His father Erwin passed away at age 37 in 1928. He died of a fractured skull caused by a falling tree while driving a team and wagon on the driveway at his home. 

John Brown registered for the draft at Sherburn, Martin County, Minnesota, on February 16, 1942. At the time, he was employed by the Minnesota & Ontario Paper Company, International Falls, Koochiching County.

He enlisted into the U.S. Army at Fort Snelling, Hennepin County, Minnesota, on October 10, 1942. PFC Brown got his basic training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. After traveling across the Atlantic Ocean in September 1943, for his deployment to England, John went to the 101st Airborne Division Parachute Jump School at Chilton Foliat, England, where he qualified for his jump wings on March 31, 1944. 

When PFC Brown jumped into Normandy on D-Day, June 6, his purpose was to serve as one of the personal bodyguards for General Maxwell D. Taylor, the commander of the division. In the Morning Reports of the MP Platoon (July 3, 1944), he is reported as being missing in action, possibly because he was not registered or recovered yet. He was later reported as killed in action. 

There is also another story about his untimely death.

Like many paratroopers, John Brown probably jumped with a lot of equipment on him, including weapons, ammunition, explosives, and food. Apparently PFC John Brown landed between Holdy and Sainte-Marie-du-Mont, carrying additional items for his divisional commander and was severely injured as a result of his equipment overload. According to this story, he actually died as a result of his jump injuries. 

Another Screaming Eagle had soared to the ultimate height. 🦅

Corporal David Brown, USMC, Courtesy of Joshua Caldwell.

Not much later that year, his family received another sad message. His brother David Brown served as a corporal (Flame Thrower) in the United States Marine Corps during WWII. He died of wounds sustained by a Japanese sniper in Guam at the age of 20 years old, on August 5, 1944.

His other brother, Everett Brown, was drafted into the United States Army and served in North Africa and Italy. In 1944 he received a furlough to come home because two of his brothers had been killed in the war.

PFC John W. Brown died in Normandy at the age of 23 years old, on June 13, 1944. 

He was first interred at the temporary Military Cemetery at Sainte-Mère-Église #2, Carentan, at Block P, Row 3, Grave 54, and was later re-buried at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial at Colleville-sur-Mer, Basse-Normandie, France, where he was laid to rest in Block A, Row 11, Grave 20.

Happy Birthday in Heaven, John.

Lest we forget! 🇺🇸

The sources used for this article are known to the author and available on request.